10 Ways in Which Hercules is Better Than Thor

Many a times, Hercules has been termed the Poor Man’s Thor. Whenever Thor is not around, Marvel sends Hercules to get the job done. This has not bid well for Hercules’ image. All he is ever seen in the comic books is a replacement. But Hercules is not just a substitute for Thor. He is much more than that. As a matter of fact, in more ways than one, the Greek God of Strength and Power is actually way better than the Norse God of Thunder and Storms. Hercules has all the qualities necessary to become even better than the Odinson. The God hailing from Mount Olympus is not to be taken lightly. His exploits and adventures in the comic books are proof enough. Presenting – 10 Ways in which Hercules is better than Thor!!

Immortality

When it comes to Godhood, the one thing that is generally common in Gods of all races and religions is that they tend to be immortal. That is also the case with respect to Thor and Hercules. Thor is thousands of years old and he continues to stay in his prime. Hercules is also of ancient origins and he too remains in his prime. But the comic books have proven that Hercules is the one that can truly be considered immortal. Thor is not actually immortal. He has superhuman longevity that stops him from aging but it happens after a few millennia. There are several storylines that have shown us an older version of Thor with wrinkles all over his skin and a whiter beard. Hercules, on the other hand, is virtually immune to aging. He will not age past his prime and will stay alive and kicking forever. That is just how his Olympian biology works.

Fighting Skills

This is something Thor has even admitted himself. Thor and Hercules have fought against each other plenty of times in the comic books. Some of them Thor would win while some would tilt in Hercules’ favour. Both are equally strong when it comes to brute strength. What sets Hercules apart is that he is a better close combat fighter. Hercules is the God of Strength and Power in Greek Mythology so he is good at fighting in close range. He has even developed Pankration, one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the whole world. Hercules’ skills in martial arts prowess are unmatched, even when you pit him against Thor.

He is physically stronger

Both Hercules and Thor have shown tremendous feats of strength. Thor once lifted the whole Midgard Serpent with his bare hands. He has fought against the Hulk and even defeated him in a pure show or raw strength. When pitted against Hercules’ strength though, it pales in comparison. Hercules is actually stronger of the two, something that is common knowledge in the comic books. Provided the fact that Hercules is the God of Strength while Thor is the God of Thunder, this makes sense. Hercules once lifted the entire sky with his bare hands. Thor has only lifted the Midgard Serpent.

He is more likable and friendlier

Thor’s royal heritage as the son of the All-Father Odin and the Prince of Asgard has led him to develop a slightly Holier than thou attitude. Thor has trouble comprehending the concept of humility and it shows when he talks. While he does not consider humans to be inferior, he does consider them to be weaker. But Hercules was not born a God. He was a demi-God that started out as a human dweller in the slums of Greece. His humble beginnings have taught him that strength can have many forms and not just physical prowess. Humans may not have the ability to bend steel but they are strong in their own way and Hercules respects that.

He is more grounded

Thor’s inability to stay humble sometimes leads him into making rash decisions. That was never the case with Hercules. He knows his limits and he uses that to his advantage. Thor would think five times before asking for help. Hercules will not shy away from asking help from his allies if he believes he is out-matched. For the God of Strength to ask for help from his allies if need be shows how mature and down to Earth the Olympian actually is. We are yet to see that side of Thor in Marvel Comics although the MCU may have shown him in a pretty vulnerable light since Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War.

He is a bad-ass drinker

Oka,y maybe this will not help him in a battle but we had to include this in the list. Up until a few years ago, we thought the Asgardian with the magic hammer was the one who sat on the throne of being the greatest drinker ever. That throne now belongs to Hercules, who is truly gifted when it comes to chugging the mug. If Thor, Tony Stark, and Hercules sat together in a bar, the first to pass out would be Tony. After that Thor will go down for sure. But Hercules will keep going. This guy’s stomach has neither floor nor ceiling.

Smarter than Thor

Hercules and Thor are both ancient beings so they have amassed a lot of knowledge over thousands of years over a variety of topics and disciplines. But it has always been Hercules who has used it to his advantage. The thing that sets Hercules apart is his use of knowledge to gain the upper hand. Hercules is a master historian and throughout the years, has collected information regarding everything there is to know. He uses that information in battle. His particularly intricate knowledge base when it comes to mythology has helped the heroes a lot of times get out of tricky situations.

He can still kick ass without his powers

Like Odin can take away Thor’s powers if need be, Zeus can also do the same to Hercules. In fact, there have been times when Hercules voluntarily gave up his powers. After the events of Chaos War, Hercules was virtually powerless but still remained at peak level human condition and used other means to stay in the game. His martial arts skills coupled with his knowledge of magical weapons and his proficiency in using both lethal and non-lethal fire-arms in combat made him a force to be reckoned with.

He is highly adaptable to any situation

Both Thor and Hercules have been shunned by their people before! We all know how Thor’s story. But did you know Hercules was also exiled from Mount Olympus by his own people after he let them down? After being banished from his home, Hercules moulded himself to better suit the human society. As a God trying to develop himself into a superhero, Hercules became a great role model for the other heroes to follow. When the God of Data – Cryptomnesia and the God of War – Catastrophobia, and Horror-Scope, tried to wipe out the Old Gods, it was Hercules who singlehandedly stopped them. He regained the trust of his people no matter what situation and what circumstance he was thrown into.

He is immune to Time Travel tactics

Kang the Conqueror is a villain who uses a time machine to travel back and forth in time to change the timeline and make it favourable enough for him to rule it. When the Avengers became too big of a hindrance, he decided to travel back in time and kill the Avengers’ infant selves one by one. The one hero he could not neutralize that way was Hercules. The reason – nobody truly knows when or where Hercules was born. As a result, Kang had to abort his plans.

Avengers: Endgame released on the 26th of April, 2019. The official film synopsis of the movie has been released and it states:

“After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.”